SABATON: HORDES OF KHAN SINGLE RELEASE
- Kirsty Shepherd
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
swedish power metal band sabaton have released their second single, "hordes of Khan" from their forthcoming eleventh studio album, due out later this year. 'hordes of Khan' is the follow up to "templars" released in april.
“The story behind our new single ‘Hordes Of Khan’ was a great one to take a deep dive into,” says singer Joakim Brodén. “The song actually turned out to have way more depth than we expected. Genghis Khan wasn’t just a conqueror; he was a complex figure who left behind a huge legacy. He built the largest contiguous empire in history, stretching far beyond Mongolia, and his influence only grew after his death. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a more suitable subject for the new direction SABATON is heading in! ‘Hordes of Khan’ hits hard, and it’s heavy for good reason. We know our fans crave heavy music, and we’re pumped to see how they react to this one. Hopefully, it’s a track they’ll be blasting on repeat!”
"The music video for “Hordes of Khan” is based in the future, in the year 2045. It was filmed in London at two different locations, the Natural History Museum and at Harrow School, and follows the main character--a young girl--who plays in a heavy metal band and loves SABATON, but she won’t ever have the opportunity to see the band play because in 2039, all wars have miraculously ended. The world is now peaceful, and war is obsolete and therefore, so is SABATON. The girl hears about a museum that’s featuring a SABATON exhibit with all of the band members’ musical instruments. The girl and her band sneak into this museum to check it out. Once inside, they are greeted by a hologram telling the story about the musical instruments of SABATON that contain magic that brings history to life. The kids take no notice, pick up the instruments and begin to
play.
Once the music begins, a ferocious Genghis Khan comes to life along with five other legendary soldiers played by the band members. Their mission is to stop Genghis before he escapes the museum to take over the world.
“When reflecting on all of the music videos we’ve ever created,” says Pär Sundström, “our ‘Hordes of Khan’ music video was the most exciting in a lot of ways, even though ‘Christmas Truce’ is a much more emotional topic and story. I think this one specifically contains much more depth and action, and in combination with the locations and the actors, I’m confident that it will resonate with everyone!”
”The children acting in the music video had their work cut out for them. They didn’t just want it to look like they were playing the instruments, they actually wanted the kids to really play the instruments and perform the song correctly. They thought it was going to be super challenging, but in this case they all learned the song by heart and performed it. “We were really proud of them all! What people see in the video is playback, but all of them know their parts and they can play ‘Hordes Of Khan’ for real,” Sundström continues. “We loved seeing that happen! Our ex-drummer Daniel Mullback’s son played the drums and acted in this music video as well, and he absolutely nailed it. Another amazing drummer in the making!"
sabaton, along with amaranthe, will be touring this coming September, performing in most major cities. tickets are available now via destroy all lines; follow the link below. some shows are all ages, while others are 18+ only, so double check your state upon purchase.
for fans of: amon amarth, nightwish, powerwolf and wind rose
what are your thoughts on "hordes of Khan"? What song are you most excited to see sabaton perform live?
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